--Integrates AmiNET130 with Minerva's iTVManager Platform
At the recent NXTcomm tradeshow in Las Vegas, UK-based IPTV
set-top box manufacturer, Amino, launched the AmiNET130M, which
it is billing as the market's first 100% digital HD IPTV set-top box.
Because HDMI is its only means of connection to the TV (i.e. it has no
analog outputs), Amino says, the AmiNET130M is cheaper and simpler
to install than other HD IPTV set-tops. The company says that the new
box "acknowledges that TV purchasing trends have shifted
significantly towards HD-ready flatscreens" (which incorporate HDMI
inputs) and that it complements the AmiNET130, which supports a full
range of traditional TV connectors. According to the company, the
130M retains "all the other benefits" of its sister product, including
enabling service providers to deliver end-to-end digital HDTV as a
multicast or on-demand multiroom experience. Like the AmiNET130,
the new box supports MPEG-4. Amino is also touting the
AmiNET130M as the industry's smallest all-digital HD MPEG-4
set-top: it measures 4.48 inches wide by 1.37 inches high. "The
AmiNET130M is a valuable addition to the IPTV market," Rory
Betteridge, Amino's HD product manager, said in a prepared statement.
"The box specifically addresses the growing segment of the market
focused on HD services and flat screen TV's. It's a less expensive
option which offers the same, unparalleled advantages as the
AmiNET130 for cutting-edge, high-quality HD IPTV services."
In other Amino news: The company says that the AmiNET130 has
been certified by IPTV middleware and applications provider, Minerva
Networks, for use with its flagship iTVManager 3.x platform (note:
Minerva has just released version 3.2 of iTVManager--see article in this
issue), following a series of lab and field trials. According to Minerva,
iTVManager has been deployed by over 120 operators around the
world; it supports a range of advanced TV services, including HDTV,
DVR, VOD, music, games and communications applications. "The
certification process brings huge benefit to both us and the end-user,"
Rick Sailor, Amino's VP of sales for the Americas, said in a prepared
statement. "A set-top box which has achieved and maintained this
certification generates more confidence than one that has only been unit
tested. The AmiNET130 has been proven to be compatible with
Minerva's middleware, helping ensure a robust and reliable service."
